coal slurry

West Virginia officials are reporting that a coal slurry line at the Kanawha Eagle Prep Plant, which belongs to Patriot Coal, ruptured and spilled a toxic byproduct from the coal mining and preparation process into a creek that feeds the Kanawha River early this morning. More than 100,000 gallons of slurry spilled, and state officials are monitoring potential impacts on public health and the local water supply.

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials say the leak is “significant” and are comparing it to last month's Freedom Industries’ coal chemical spill into the Elk River, which contaminated the tapwater of 300,000 West Virginians.

Incredibly, that’s just one of the fossil fuels disasters that happened today. Just a few miles across the border from West Virginia, a natural gas well operated by Chevron in Dilliner, Pennsylvania exploded and continues to burn, as firefighters cannot get close enough to extinguish it, due to the intense heat. One person was injured and taken to the hospital, and another person remains missing.

Another natural gas explosion was reported last night, this one in Tioga, North Dakota. Hiland Partners operates the pipeline that ruptured, leading to an explosion and fire that could be seen, apparently, for miles. Randall Pederson of the Tioga Fire and Ambulance Department told the Bismarck Tribune that he “could see a large glow south of town” so he knew it was a big blaze even before he got to the scene.

I’m digging deep, and maybe even stepping on a few toes, but a Guardian report via ThinkProgress (or is it vice versa?) cites coal industry spokesman Joe Lucas as saying that mountaintop removal in Appalachia performs a civic function by creating flat earth.

Whoever scooped it hasn’t gotten nearly enough coverage, so let’s revisit with envy and ask how she, or he, got Lucas to step on his own tongue, as it were.

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